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Ray Kelvin, the idiosyncratic founder and chief executive of Ted Baker, joked that the fashion retailer had become the first export to crack America since Benny Hill after it announced another surge in sales and profits.

Pre-tax profits rose by 34.6 per cent to £38.9 million on group revenues that were up 26.5 per cent to £321.9 million. Retail sales in the United States, where Ted Baker has 17 stores on top of its wholesale business, jumped by 38.1 per cent to £50.7 million.

“They [Americans] like the quirky,” said Mr Kelvin. “The Britishness. The irreverence.”